An increasing need for PROMs in spine care
Back and neck pain are extremely common conditions that affect almost everyone at some point in their lives. The inclusion of PROMs in patient journeys has yielded to enhancements in the PROMs themselves, but also in care pathways, patient involvement and has facilitated aggregated results in the form of registries to better inform healthcare professionals on best practices.
The Global Burden of Disease 2010 study indicated that spinal pain remains the leading cause of global disability since 1990.1, 2 In the United Kingdom for example, back pain affects around 80% of people and £48 billion is spent each year on medical treatment, medication, benefits and lost productivity.4
Herein, we have an obvious issue – one that has consequences on financial expenditure, productivity, healthcare resources and most importantly quality of life. While the majority of episodes of back pain are non-specific and short-lasting with little or no consequence, recurrent episodes are common and low back pain is increasingly understood as a long-lasting condition with a variable course. Specific conditions can be explored in the downloadable publication below.
PROMs used for management of the spine
Among all the advancements in spine care over the last years, the recognition of the importance and incorporation of patients‘ interpretation of their care is huge progress towards practicing more patient-centred care. The use of prospective clinical registries based on PROMs is an important component of medical care because it has the potential to narrow the gap between the clinician’s and patient’s view of clinical reality and help tailor treatment plans to meet the patient‘s preferences and needs.3, 4
Prominent PROMs used in the field of spine care include the: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI); the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire; the STarT Back Tool; COMI-back; COMI-neck and the Neck Disability Index (NDI). These are elaborated upon further in the setting of both conservative and surgical management in the document.
Whilst the white paper provides an insight into the common usage of PROMs in literature and what PROMs can be used together in certain settings, recommended standard sets can be advised upon by leading bodies in the field of PROMs. The International Consortium of Health Outcomes Measurements (ICHOM) offers a standard set for the measurement of low back pain which includes the regionally specific ODI and the generic PROMs: Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and the EQ-5D-3L. Additionally, the Norweigen spine registry NORspine contains the PROMs instruments ODI and EQ- 5D.6
Digital Outcome Measurement for Better Care
There is a wide appreciation that PROMs can deliver insights into what works best in patient care, best practice surgical techniques and devices, as well as therapeutic management. PROMs add value to care, however there seems to be a vast array of concerns when it comes to everyday clinical practice.7, 8
Heartbeat Medical’s Outcome Measurement Platform heartbeat ONE makes information collected by PROMs actionable in a secure fashion. PROMs continue to and will assist in the treatment, rehabilitation and research in spine care if the processes and tools or platforms are optimized correctly, which is what we are here to provide with a passionate and dedicated team.
